1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of remediating, replacing, sealing and covering industrial wooden floors, and more particularly to a method and system that installs a complete epoxy floor system attached to the original wood without the necessity of removing or preparing such floors for sealing and top coating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the years, wood plank floors or wood block floors were installed in numerous commercial and industrial buildings. Many of those floors installed consist of wood blocks or wood planks that are treated with creosote, because creosote-treated wood resists shrinking, insect attack, moisture and decay. Wood floors also reduce sound reflection and provide a softer surface than concrete. Rooms in these buildings usually contain heavy machinery which is mounted to the floor and is in continuous operation. Complete replacement of these floors presents a tremendous problem because all use of the room, including the machinery, must be stopped, and all personnel must be temporarily relocated. Additionally, the large machinery must be removed piece by piece, and finally, the creosote-treated floor must be removed block by block. In the alternative, preparation of the floor for sealing involves sanding or grinding of the creosote coated wood which creates dust and hazardous airborne particles. In general, this is a very laborious process that creates fumes and dust containing creosote chemical components which are harmful to humans. In addition, any treated wood which is removed must be specially disposed of.
Some prior art methods have involved pouring of resinous materials directly on the surface, or, removing the wood and installing approximately three inches of concrete in order to replace the wood block and maintain the proper prior floor height. However, these methods do not work satisfactorily because creosote-treated surfaces resist adhesion, and the thin layer of concrete will crack under heavy loads, and, unless very thick or reinforced, the replacement concrete cannot support heavy traffic or machinery. Concrete replacement also has the disadvantage of a long curing time (28 days) before the floor can be put back into manufacturing use. Also, concrete needs seams for expansion and contraction which is undesirable to the building owners. Finally, concrete replacement adds time and expense to the process by requiring the removal of machinery during remediation. Also, epoxy bonding directly to wood creates a stiff, non-flexible surface that can crack under the shock of heavy loads or objects being dropped. Industrial floors can routinely have to support 500,000 lb. loads. Also, a stiff floor creates foot pain to workers who have to stand on it for long periods.
Epoxy resin is a very desirable material for a floor covering rehabilitation and refurbishment because it cures rapidly and seals; however epoxy will not adhere to treated wood, and if it did, that would be undesirably since the resulting floor would not be flexible. Many new types of high-grade epoxy resins are available that result in floors with high functionality and efficiency. These epoxy resins may contain colors for decorative appearance and can effectively protect steel, concrete and wood from deterioration due to moisture, cracking and, in the case of steel, corrosion. Epoxy resin floors achieve a high degree of watertightness that leads to much longer durability. In general, epoxy yields a floor that is safe, and has a clean, pleasing appearance. It provides a skid-proof surface, even when wet, and is resistant to acids and other aggressive chemicals found in industrial settings. Epoxy floors are also very resistant to abrasion as well as chemical solvents such as gasoline, greases, thawing salts and general solvents. When secured to a wooden subfloor, the epoxy/wood combination provides a softer, resilient and impact-resistant surface.
It would be extremely advantageous to have a method and system where epoxy resin could be rapidly affixed to treated wood plank or wood block floors that solves the problem of adhesion to the covered material; produce a floor surface that would be flexible; and that would not create hazardous airborne material or hazardous waste; and would not require removal of installed machinery and allow workers and production to resume work with minimal down-time.